<p>Bengaluru: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for newer categories, such as used oil and non-ferrous metals, is still evolving, with rules taking shape and infrastructure catching up.</p>.<p>EPR for used oil in India was formally introduced through the Second Amendment to the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2023. Effective April 1, 2024, the framework brings producers, importers, and recyclers of lubricants and base oils under a mandatory system of accountability for the collection and recycling of used oil. </p>.Waste grows, producer responsibility falls short.<p>The EPR mechanism aims to address the long-standing issue of improper disposal of used lubricating oil, which poses significant environmental hazards when dumped, burned, or mixed with other waste. By mandating recovery through authorised recyclers, the framework seeks to ensure that used oil is re-refined or reprocessed in an environmentally sound manner, thereby reducing both pollution and dependence on virgin resources, and offering EPR certificates.</p>.<p>The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) online platform, the EPR Used Oil Management Portal, tracks registration, reporting and compliance.</p>.<p>Under this system, every producer or importer of lubricant or base oil must register on the CPCB portal, declare the quantity of oil introduced into the market, and meet the annual recycling or recovery targets through verified recyclers. Recyclers, in turn, are required to obtain authorisation and issue EPR certificates equivalent to the amount of used oil processed. Producers can purchase these certificates to fulfil their compliance obligations. </p>.<p>Implementation of the used oil EPR framework is still in its initial phase. The CPCB has released detailed guidance documents, FAQs, and a digital adjustment module to facilitate registration and reporting. The portal’s dashboard allows public viewing of aggregate data and progress. </p>.<p>While major lubricant and oil-producing companies are expected to fall under this regime, publicly verifiable data show no registration of large private oil conglomerates. Public oil and gas business entities are registered. </p>.<p>If we take the example of Reliance Industries, its 2024 Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) shows no ‘Used Oil’ waste, even though many of its compliance reports indicate the existence of this waste category. The conglomerate and its subsidiaries are not yet listed on CPCB’s ERP portal, except for Reliance BP Mobility Limited (Jio BP), which is involved in fuel retailing. The same is true for many other oil majors.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for newer categories, such as used oil and non-ferrous metals, is still evolving, with rules taking shape and infrastructure catching up.</p>.<p>EPR for used oil in India was formally introduced through the Second Amendment to the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2023. Effective April 1, 2024, the framework brings producers, importers, and recyclers of lubricants and base oils under a mandatory system of accountability for the collection and recycling of used oil. </p>.Waste grows, producer responsibility falls short.<p>The EPR mechanism aims to address the long-standing issue of improper disposal of used lubricating oil, which poses significant environmental hazards when dumped, burned, or mixed with other waste. By mandating recovery through authorised recyclers, the framework seeks to ensure that used oil is re-refined or reprocessed in an environmentally sound manner, thereby reducing both pollution and dependence on virgin resources, and offering EPR certificates.</p>.<p>The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) online platform, the EPR Used Oil Management Portal, tracks registration, reporting and compliance.</p>.<p>Under this system, every producer or importer of lubricant or base oil must register on the CPCB portal, declare the quantity of oil introduced into the market, and meet the annual recycling or recovery targets through verified recyclers. Recyclers, in turn, are required to obtain authorisation and issue EPR certificates equivalent to the amount of used oil processed. Producers can purchase these certificates to fulfil their compliance obligations. </p>.<p>Implementation of the used oil EPR framework is still in its initial phase. The CPCB has released detailed guidance documents, FAQs, and a digital adjustment module to facilitate registration and reporting. The portal’s dashboard allows public viewing of aggregate data and progress. </p>.<p>While major lubricant and oil-producing companies are expected to fall under this regime, publicly verifiable data show no registration of large private oil conglomerates. Public oil and gas business entities are registered. </p>.<p>If we take the example of Reliance Industries, its 2024 Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) shows no ‘Used Oil’ waste, even though many of its compliance reports indicate the existence of this waste category. The conglomerate and its subsidiaries are not yet listed on CPCB’s ERP portal, except for Reliance BP Mobility Limited (Jio BP), which is involved in fuel retailing. The same is true for many other oil majors.</p>